Infinite Stratos: Cold War

1: The Arrival

April 2, 2052
--

"Now arriving: IS Academy."

Juno caressed the side of his head which had taken a small bump, peeling his sleepy self off the comfy monorail couch as the robotic Japanese woman recited over the PA system..

That was an eerie dream. Like always, he forgot half of it, the only part sticking with him, being that second half with the fire and flames.

He thought it would be reasonable, considering how early it was when he left the hotel. The sun was still down, so he might as well fill in the rest of those eight hours. It was four when he got in, now it's nearly seven.

He finally saw the metal city over the horizon when he glanced toward the monorail windows, his own reflection staring back at him. He brushed his hair, yawned and took hold of his baggage as the train came to a gradual halt.

When he got onto the monorail, he picked a spot more conspicuous from the train as not to arouse any questions from the "others."

Well, it couldn't be avoided as soon as stepped off the monorail and onto the new grounds, he felt the eyes of many on him.

Juno wasn't bothered. It was only natural. After all, he was the only man among them.

"Uh, what's he doing here? This is girl's school..."

"Wait a minute, is that... one of the boys from the news?"

Some of the girls knew, some didn't. It didn't matter, as Juno had his sights set on a marvel of his own.

The sun warmed his skin as he peered into the sky, up at the tall branch-like tower scraping it, the tower which belonged to the infamous IS Academy.

He ruffled through the pocket of his hoodie, flipping open an ID card created in Ottawa before he was sent to Japan. The Canadian coat of arms was imprinted by his photograph, stamped by the Canadian Prime Minister himself, right beside another stamp with the acronym "NANO" imprinted boldly.

The sign of allegiance.

Juno took in a deep breath and returned the card to his pocket.

"Okay. It's fine." He told himself positively before heaving his luggage in front, "I belong here..."

Even inside the lobby, the girls didn't stop staring. The person at the front desk, yet another woman had to adjust their glasses at the upcoming sight.

The suitcase rumbled behind Juno as he casually walked up to the counter, right hand in hoodie pocket. With a blank look on his face, lightly pushed a sheet of paperwork into the table. The lady overlooked the paper, holding the hinges of her glasses.

It was only when she read the name on the ID that she finally understood.

"Ah." She placed a finger on it, "You are the male IS Representative Candidate of Canada..."

"Yup. That's sounds like me." Juno happily stated in his usual upbeat tone.

The lady was a bit taken aback, but she decided not to pry, Juno held his hand out and retook all of the

"Please sign this." She slid a piece of paper onto the table, in which Juno took.

"Juno Reeves," He wrote, finally signing the declaration of his new opening here in this Academy.

--

Juno quietly hummed to himself, hands in both pockets as he strolled through the institution.

His remained traced on the large holographic strip providing the weather, temperature, etc. Definitely more futuristic than most of what he'd seen back in Vancouver, but the trees and bushes still made it a peaceful walk.

He idly rattled the room key in his pocket, having decided to go to his early before anything else, try to get used to this new life as soon as possible.

He glanced over at a couple girls staring curiously from the distance, simply flashing a friendly smile that made them scurry away reddened.

Soon he made it into the dormitory building, checking the numbers on each door until he reached the particular "1707."

He smiled and placed the key in the lock, gently swinging the door open without even making a squeak. Another sign of his Academy's sophistication, made even proven further once he entered.

"Huh. Nobody here, eh?" Juno scanned the room, shrugging it off before beginning to unpack.

The room was very clean, smelled nice and was rather cozy. Two beds, two computers, a small kitchen, a balcony Much better than the hotel room he was staying in before - not saying the hotel room was bad or anything.

The Canadian laid his case onto his bed and began to dress himself in his recently acquired IS Academy uniform. He had his white dress pants, and the blazer. But he paused for a moment, right before he pulled his top down his neck.

Juno didn't speak as he glanced upward at the mirror reflecting him, slowly approaching it with his bare torso. Staring at himself with a neutral expression on his face, eyes focused on the shirt he held around his throat.

"Hmph." He scoffed, slowly lowered the shirt and exposed his own concealed throat.

"Will this be the adventure of a lifetime, dad?" He muttered, his hand gently raised to the glass, stroking at his neck through the mirror, which had a jagged scar encircling it.

Shortly afterward, he threw on his school uniform completely, tightening the area around the scar just enough to conceal it well.

He had no doubts, or worries at that very moment. The only feeling he felt was that of excitement, for the beginning of a new chapter in his life.